The Exception
by Typhoon Boom
Summary: Post Kung Fu Panda 2. Throughout the centuries, wolves were looked down upon, seen as petty thieves, killers, monsters, etc. There's always a reason, and there's always an exception. Rated T for blood.
1. Frowned Upon

**Not much to say at the moment, so I'll get on with the story. Disclaimer: I don't own KFP in any way, shape, or form.**

Chapter 1

Wolves.

A name that echoed throughout the centuries by many cultures, of which sees them as monsters, killers, heartless animals, thieves, etc.

There's always exceptions to every rule. Some wolves only seek a normal life, to not be looked down upon and forced to fight and cheat their way through life. Even if wolves didn't have other species, they still had each other. Packs are formed, and bonds are made. Some wolves become lone wolves, fending for themselves.

One wolf in particular, instead of trying to fight or escaping other species, he wishes to live among them.

In the early morning of China, an arctic wolf, dawning silver chestplates, a gray vest under that, a baige pouch strapped to his lower back, dark brown pants, a black shroud cloth, covering his upper torso and hanging down to his mid-back, a hood, hanging just over his eyes, and a gray mask, covering his entire face, save for his nose and eyes.

His armament consisted of a shortsword and a shield, both strapped to his back, a knife holistered on his shoulder, and a tomahawk hooked to his hip.

From place to place, he travels, spat on and looked down upon for being a wolf. Called a monster, thief, killer. Some places despise wolves to the point where he resorted to hiding his face to avoid punishment or death, hence the mask. Many places he's been sees criminals, thieves, etc. A good amount of which are wolves.

He was now walking through the bamboo forest, having heard of the Valley of Peace. Word is out that its heroes had defeated a peacock named Shen and his legion of wolves. Upon seeing the village, he quickened his pace to a trot.

XXXXX

Upon arriving, he noticed that its main populace consisted mainly of pigs, geese, and bunnies. A merchant village. Perhaps he could pickup new supplies while he was here.

He walked through the village, some of the villager casting looks of fear, malice, and some even disgust. He sighed. No surprise. But he was impressed that all he received were only looks. Some villages, merchant or not, would insult, throw food, all that good stuff.

Walking from street to street, he came across one where there was a lot of commotion. One good look and there were bandits raiding what appears to be a... noodle shop? Shaking his head, he walks to the entrance to see the brainless idiots who would commit such a petty crime.

XXXXX

Meanwhile, back up at the Jade palace, the masters were training in the training hall under the watchful eye of their grand master Shifu.

Po, better known as the legendary Dragon Warrior, was training with his fellow masters.

Master Tigress, also the leader of the legendary Furious Five, was sparring with him on the spinning dragons with the Seven Clubs of Instant Oblivion, pretty much knocking him around. Master Crane was balancing on the Jade Tortoise, testing his balance and reaction time by deflecting arrows. The smallest of the fighters, Master Mantis, was training in the Gauntlet of Wooden Warriors. Up above, Master Monkey was swinging around the Seven Talon Rings. And the last in the training room, Master Viper was training over the Field of Fiery Death.

That was until their messenger, Zeng, flew in, landing next to Shifu, out of breath.

"Ah, Zeng. Good to see you. What have you to report from the village?" Shifu asked, calm and collected. The panting goose looked over to Shifu before speaking up.

"Bandits... in the noodle shop." Zeng panted.

"Anything else?" Shifu asked, the Five and Po already gathered around, having heard the brief conversation.

"I saw a hooded wolf too. Could be working with them. Don't know for sure." the messenger goose replied. Shifu nodded before motioning his students off, Viper reminding Po of no snack breaks.

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As the Five and Po neared the noodle ship, they stopped to see a brawl of one vs many.

A cloaked figure, presumably the wolf they talked about, was fighting the group of bandits, consisting of three wolves and three leopards.

Said wolf was unarmed, his weapons not in use. He was surrounded, in a stance, ready to counter each move.

"Should we... you know... help that guy?" Po suggested.

"Let's see what he can do first." Viper replied.

After kicking one of the leopards back, a wolf rushed him with an hammer, which he caught with a hand and after disarming him, jabbed him in the stomach with the hammer before kicking him back. Throwing the hammer at a leopard, knocking him out, he dodged a swing of a sword before grabbing the user's wrist and twisting it out of his grip. He then elbowed the wolf's face and flipped him over his shoulder, throwing him into another leopard. Another wolf ran up to him from behind, but a backwards kick sent him to the ground, clutching his stomach. That only left one leopard. Regaining a loose stance, he was back on the defensive. Seeing his comrades defeated, the remaining leopard turned tail and fled. Dropping his guard, our wolf walked back towards the exit, passing the Five as he did so. The surrounding villagers went back to what they were doing, their new topic the suppressed bandit raid. As the group watched the wolf walk off and round a corner, out of sight, the group began their trek back to the Jade Palace, Monkey breaking the ice.

"That guy is good."

"I agree." Viper added.

"But he's a wolf." Crane retorted.

"But if he saved my dad's noodle shop, there's got to be _some_ good in him, right?" Po asked.

"I'm with Po in this one. All he did was fight the bandits and leave. There's no bad in that." Viper pointed out.

"He can't be trusted." Tigress said flatly.

"I'm with Tigress." Mantis stated.

"Oh, why not?" Po asked.

"If you recall, Po, most of Shen's forces were wolves, and none of them were the least bit good." Tigress reminded as they began walking up the thousand stairs. "Besides, it's Shifu's decision to make, not ours." Tigress added, not liking the idea of a wolf joining them the most.

"Let's at least go_ talk_ to Shifu about this." Po exclaimed.

"Whatever." Tigress muttered as they continued up the steps.

**Chapter One of the story written for your enjoyment. I hope you all enjoyed and as always, have a nice day.**


	2. The Exception

**Hello, everyone. I present you all chapter two, so read an tell me what you think. Disclaimer: I don't own KFP in and way, shape, or form. Let's get started...**

Chapter 2

Back at the Jade Palace, Po and Shifu were one again in an argument with the Five listening just outside of his room.

"A wolf? Are you insane, Po?!" Shifu exclaimed, clearly against the idea of allowing a mutt anywhere near the Jade Palace, much less train here.

"Oh, come on, Shifu. I mean he seems like a really nice guy. If he beat the bandits ransacking my dad's shop instead of helping them, he's gotta have some good in him, right?" Po asked hopefully, but the old master wasn't budging.

"Wrong, Po! Have you already forgotten the wolves that served under Shen? Wolves cannot be trusted." Shifu reminded.

"But this one's alone, and he beat those bandits without breaking a sweat. He's kung-fu material. Besides, what ever happened to 'Don't judge a book by its cover?'" Po pointed out, motioning to himself. "I'm not asking you to accept him as a fellow master here. Just give him a chance to prove himself." Po explained. Shifu looked down, thinking for a moment before he raised his head again, looking over to Po.

"If you really want him here that much, fine. The next tine you see him, bring him back. But if there's one slip-up, one reason to think that he might be plotting against us, both of you will be punished. Are we clear?" Shifu asked, his voice drop-dead serious. Po nodded in acknowledgement.

"Good. Dismissed." Shifu dismissed, returning to his meditation. Po then took his leave, unnoticingly passing the Five.

The panda sighed. He wasn't concerned for himself, but for their soon to be resident. Shifu is going to try his best to discourage him as he did with him. He could only hope that the wolf could last. Walking out of the barracks, he headed down to the village to look for the mysterious lupine.

The Five watched him go, having mixed feelings about what Po was doing.

"Bet a dozen almond cookies he doesn't last the first week." Mantis wagered.

"Bet a bakers dozen he doesn't last the first day." Crane countered.

"You're on." Mantis accepted, smirking.

"Count me in." Monkey added.

"Bet all three of you twenty he makes it _past_ the first week." Viper cut in. The rest of the Five stared at her, bewildered.

"Are you serious?" Crane asked, not believing what he had just heard.

"I'm in!" Mantis cheered at the ludicrous wager before he.

"I agree. You have no chance, Viper." Monkey quipped.

"Me too." Crane added. The three left, leaving Viper and Tigress. The tigress, looked down at her, crossing her arms.

"Why'd you make the bet?" Tigress inquired.

"Needed _something_ to shut them up. And I really think he'll pull through." Viper said before slithering off after Po. Tigress just sighed, shaking her head before heading to the training hall.

"That mutt is in for it." Tigress thought, smirking. She'll have fun beating him to a pulp.

XXXXX

Meanwhile, somewhere in the village, our wolf was leaning against a wall, his head hung, arms crossed, just listening to the villagers as they walked by.

Their talk was still mainly about him as far as he was listening. Might even reach the Jade Palace. He couldn't help but wonder what it would it be like being a master there. Probably wouldn't get the chance though. After Shen and his wolf army were defeated, everyone probably held an even lower opinion of wolves. Sighing, he continued to wait for something to happen. Bandit raid, all out attack, anything to get him moving.

Just then, he heard the phrase 'There he is! Get him!'. Looking up, he saw about a dozen leopards and wolves moving in on him, weapons at the ready. Cracking his neck, he stood up from the wall and cracked his knuckles. He was surrounded in moments.

They each barked and growled at him, trying to intimidate him, but all he did was take stance unarmed and waited.

Soon enough, one of the wolves charged with his hammer over his head. Our wolf kicked him in in his stomach with a quick lunge and caught the hammer as it fell forward. He then tossed the hammer aside and ducked just in time to avoid a slash of a leopard armed with a katana. As he ducked, he did a sweep kick with his right leg, tripping the leopard over and while the feline was in mid-air, he came back around with his left knee and let the leopard fall on his knee on his back. He didn't break it, but just let him roll of and writhe in pain. Standing back up, he still had ten more to deal with.

XXXXX

Po was walking through the village, greeting villagers as he was looking for the wolf he saw a few hours earlier.

His search was over when he rounded a corner to see a brawl a few streets down. It took a minute to finally get there for the giant panda.

Upon arriving, he saw the wolf fighting off the entire group of bandits. He couldn't help but watch as one wolf or leopard went down after another.

As another leopard thrusted his katana forward, our wolf sidestepped, grabbing his wrist. He then broke his arm across his knee and came around with an elbow before he could scream in pain. He defeated three more of them, and that left three wolves and four leopards. However, just before he went on the offensive, he saw a green blur rush past him into the remaining bandits. He then saw Po rush into the fight, assisting Viper.

Soon enough, the bandits were all dealt with, either unconscious or writhing in pain, and then Viper and Po turned to him. He dropped into a defensive stance, on alert.

"Easy there, dude. I'm just here to help." Po assured, Viper nodding in agreement. The wolf slowly dropped his guard before returning to a casual posture.

"Help with what?" the wolf asked, his voice sounding just into early adulthood.

"Well, I kinda wanted to make you an offer." Po admitted.

"What?" the wolf asked.

"We want you to join the Jade Palace." Viper spoke up, cutting Po off before he even spoke. The wolf looked down, thinking for a moment. Should he? There's nothing to do down in the village. They'll most likely make a hell for him. Nothing he's not used to. As he pondered further, another thought struck him.

If he's a master at the Jade Palace, he'll set an example for wolves.

He might not be able to clear the name, but he might be able to clean it somewhat. Looking back up, he gave a long sigh.

"Alright." the wolf said. Po beamed in excitement while Viper smiled warmly.

"Awesome! Let's go head back." Po said, walking of, motioning for him to follow, Viper slithering right behind him. The wolf took a deep breath before walking after them. He knew that hell was a walk away.

A few minutes into the walk, they made it to the thousand stairs. Po took the chance to tell him about Shifu.

"By the way. Just as a heads up, the others'll take some getting used to since... well..." Po stopped, trying to come up with a way to explain it to him. He didn't need an explanation though.

"Since they'll do all they can to get me to leave." the wolf finished for him. Po stared in slight surprise before he spoke again.

"Yeah, that's the sum of it, I'm afraid." Po sighed.

"I'm used to it." the wolf explained.

"Don't worry. Po and I will help make the Jade Palace a better place for you." Viper assured, Po nodding. The wolf just nodded.

"Hey, I didn't get your name." Po pointed out.

"Akula." The wolf replied.

**Chapter Two signed and sealed. In this story, I'm gonna put the Five and Po in their twenties since they're all in their forties. I hope you all enjoyed and as always, have a nice day.**


	3. Disdain

**Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I apologise for the wait, but with nobody reviewing, I lost a lot of motivation. I'm not gonna cry over it, but it still kinda hurt. Anyways, Disclaimer: I do not own Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2, or Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness in any way, shape, or form. Enjoy...**

Chapter 3

It was evening, almost dusk by the time Viper, Akula, and Po had reached the top. In that order.

Once they reached the top, they walked onto the courtyard and towards the training hall. A question's been chipping away at Po ever since he saw Akula, so he just decided to ask.

"Hey Akula."

The wolf lifted his head in acknowledgement.

"Why do you wear that mask? Are you hiding a scar or something?" Po asked, making Viper look over to them, her own curiosity piqued.

"A good amount of villages in China will attempt to kill wolves on sight." Akula explained, making Viper and Po cast each other a look.

"I'm so sorry about that." Viper apologized, Po nodding in agreement.

"It's part of life." Akula assured.

"So you think you can take it off?" Po asked, receiving a swipe to the back of the head from Viper. "Ow!"

"I'll take it off when I meet the others." Akula said as they neared the training hall doors. Upon entering, they saw the rest of the Five hard at work under Shifu's gaze. As they entered, the grandmaster turned their attention towards them, the other students stopped what they were doing and joined Shifu at his side. Shifu quickly but thoroughly examined Akula before Po spoke up.

"*Clears throat* So guys uh, this is Akula. Akula, guys. Monkey, Crane, Mantis, and Tigress." Po introduced, motioning respectively.

Scowls and glares were exchanged with an unreadable expression behind Akula's mask, which bought up the next voice to speak.

"What's with the mask?" Mantis whispered into Monkey's ear, who shrugged.

"Yes, why_ do_ you wear a mask? Are you covering a scar?" Shifu asked, his voice mocking in a sense. Akula just shook his head no before replying.

"Parts of China would kill a wolf on sight. The mask became necessary." Akula explained in his somber voice.

"I can see why." Mantis whispered in Monkey's ear, making his primate companion chuckle. Tigress and Crane heard it as well, smirking at his remark.

"So Shifu, is he accepted or what?" Po pressed, anxious for his answer.

"How can he be a student here if we can't even see his face?" Shifu asked, motioning for the wolf to remove his mask.

Akula took a long, deep breath before reaching for his hood. He slowly pulled it down, revealing his short, spiky, snow white hair.

"Now the mask." Shifu urged, motioning to his face. Akula closed his eyes and reached his hand up to his face and skeptically removed the mask, revealing his face. His snow white fur was smoothly matted down with no visible scars. He opened his bright orange eyes to see the mixed expressions of the group. The antagonists put on unimpressed looks while Viper and Po gave smiles.

_'The others must really hate wolves.'_ Akula thought, pushing the thought of them being taught to_ 'not judge a book by its cover'_ out the window.

"I like him better with the mask on." Mantis muttered quietly, receiving a chuckle from Monkey. Fighting the impulse to shake his head in disappointment, Akula put his mask and hood back on.

"Very well, wolf. You are now my student." Shifu said, making Akula look over to him. "Viper will show you to your room. Your training starts first thing in the morning. Dismissed." Shifu announced, the others, save for Viper, immediately heading out. She motioned for him to follow before slithering out of the training hall. Akula was going to follow, but...

"Wait, wolf." Shifu said, making the arctic lupine stop and turn to him. "You may be a student here now, but know this: I still don't trust you. Po may have seen some trust in you, but when I'm through with you, you're going to Wish. He. Hadn't. Are we clear?" Shifu asked, his voice cold and scornful. Akula, however, was completely unfazed.

"Bring it on." came Akula's reply before walking out, following Viper to his room. The red panda just chuckled to himself before heading out himself.

'With pleasure.' Shifu thought before heading off himself.

XXXXX

It was dusk by the time Viper and Akula made it to his room.

"Here we are." Viper announced as she slid the ricepaper door open with her tail, allowing them to head inside and look around. The room was simple; a matt to sleep on, a shelf, and a desk with a few drawers and lit candles.

"I know it's not much, but you get used to it." Viper assured.

"It's a lot more than where I'm used to sleeping." Akula assured, remove his shield and setting it against the desk, followed by his sheath.

"Where did you sleep?" Viper asked, slithering up to him.

"Wherever opportunity allowed." Akula replied, placing the rest of his belongings, save for his mask, on the desk. Viper nodded before the smell of noodles hit her nostrils.

"Dinner is almost ready. Coming?" Viper asked, looking up at Akula.

"I'll stay in here." Akula gently declined, taking a seat on the matt, crossing his legs. Viper gave an understanding nod before she headed for the hallway. However, before she slithered out into the hallway, she looked back at the arctic lupine.

"Goodnight." Viper said, receiving a nod from Akula before slithering out, leaving the lone wolf alone with his thoughts. Akula let out a long sigh before reaching up and taking his mask off again. Looking down at it, he sighed. It became such a habit to keep it on whenever he's near a different species.

_'Suppose I'll have to get used to not wearing it. Then again, maybe not.' _Akula thought, remembering their rather childish reactions to seeing his face. Insults? He'd expect much higher from China's _heroes. _Shaking his head, he sighed and slid his mask back on and laid down on the matt, trying to ignore the enticing smell of noodles.

**And clear. Before I go, I'd like to voice out a complaint. Mantis is TOTALLY overpowered! When I saw KFP 2, I was like WTF!? How the hell can a preying mantis throw around two whole wolves at least a hundred f***ing times his size?! If you agree, leave it in a review below. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed, and as always, further reviews will lead to further chapters. Have a nice day.**


	4. Exceptional Skill

**Hey guys. I just gotta thank you all for the reviews. They mean a lot to me. Also, I was planning on adding the Wu sisters later on since they don't get recognized much at all. If anyone have any ideas or suggestions for later in the story, talk to me through PM.**

Chapter 4

The Five and Po were in the kitchen, waiting for their food to be served.

"C'mon, Po! When's dinner gonna be ready? I'm starving!" Mantis exclaimed, throwing his pincers up in impatience.

"Never rush perfection, Mantis. Only a few more minutes." Po replied, skillfully slicing the vegetables into the pot.

"Hey Viper." Po greeted as she slithered into the kitchen. He noticed that Akula wasn't with her. "Where's Akula?"

"He turned in early for the night." Viper replied, slithering up into her seat next to Crane. Po nodded and returned to his cooking.

As they waited, conversation started to stir up, their subject being Akula.

"Sooo guys, whaddya think about Akula?" Po asked, stirring the noodles.

"The mutt doesn't belong here." Tigress stated flatly. Monkey and Crane nodded in agreement.

"Oh, c'mon, guys, at least give him a chance!" Po exclaimed, sliding several bowls along his arm as he began to fill them with noodles.

"Po, do we have to remind you about Shen again?" Crane asked.

"Guys, the only reason that the wolves fought by Shen is because Shen was the only one that actually treated them with respect. I bet if you do the same with Akula, he'd make an awesome friend and ally." Po suggested.

"Po, that was _their_ past. We don't even know anything about him." Monkey cut in.

"Why not ask him?" Viper suggested.

As they were arguing, Akula was resting on the mat in his room, on his back, his arms propping his head up, staring at the ceiling through his mask.

He didn't even need to focus in order to listen to their rather negative conversation about him. The smell of noodles still filled the air, making his stomach ache, but reason overcame hunger. It'd be a very uncomfortable dinner when you're surrounded by people that would want nothing more than to have you gone, one way or another.

As he continued to listen, he picked up insults about him along with insults about wolves in general, not that he's never heard any of them before, or that he even cared for that matter. Yawning, he prepared himself for sleep.

He had one hell of a day ahead of him.

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The next morning, the village bell sounded, immediately signalling for the Five and Po to greet their master at their doors.

"Good morning, Master." The Five greeted, Po only a second late. Shifu was about to point out Po's mistake when he noticed that Akula wasn't at his door. Scowling, he walked over to the door and threw it open. "Wake up!" Shifu ordered, but Akula had just finished the action of pulling his hood over his head.

"Good morning." Akula greeted, picking up his shield from the desk and strapping it on.

"Wolf, I expect you to be at your door once the bell rings." Shifu growled, walking out of his room. Akula sighed before walking out of his room and down the hallway, following the others outside of the barracks.

XXXXX

Everyone headed out to the courtyard, lining up in front of the training hall.

Shifu snapped his fingers, signalling for Monkey to step forward. He picked up a bamboo staff from the weapons rack and stood across from the wolf. Twirling his staff, Monkey took stance.

Akula unstrapped his shield, taking his own stance. The others watched anxiously. Crane, Tigress, and Mantis to see Akula get pummeled, Viper and Po to see the extent of Akula's abilities.

Akula kept a leveled head and a perfect stance, waiting for Shifu to initiate the beginning of the match, Monkey doing the same.

"Begin." Shifu announced.

Immediately, Monkey lunged, bamboo staff at the ready for an overhead attack. Akula quickly blocked with his shield and forced Monkey away, the primate landing a few feet away. Akula, with his shield up, crept closer, Monkey probing for an opening. Monkey then swung at Akula's feet, intent to trip him over, but Akula raised his foot to an angle, trapping the staff under his foot. Monkey then gripped the edge of Akula's shield with his foot, allowing for some offense with his other free hand and foot. Akula promptly blocked his attacks with his own free paw and foot. Breaking the stalemate, Akula jumped back from Monkey, allowing the two fighters to regain stance.

From that brief encounter, Akula figured out Monkey's style. He used all parts of the body to attack from every direction. Akula would have to keep a leveled head and his shield at the ready.

Monkey lunged forward with his staff again. Akula ran and did a slide while holding his shield up, blocking Monkeys swing as he maneuvered over him. Using the pads on his feet, Akula stopped himself and lunged towards Monkey just as he hit the ground. Monkey barely had time to jump back, dodging Akula's punch. As his punch missed, Akula landed on his feet and came back around with his shield, the weight and force behind it enough to knock the primate back. Akula halted his offense, stopping just as Monkey stopped. Monkey retook stance while Akula strapped his shield back on his back, taking an open-handed stance.

To put it bluntly, the group was surprised. Monkey was near undefeated with his bamboo staff, and Akula was holding his own quite well. Tigress, Mantis, and Crane grew scowls while Viper and Po grew smiles.

Monkey lunged again, readying a horizontal swing. Akula took a deep breath and closed his eyes, his ears perking up under his hood. In one swift motion, he jumped up, catching Monkey's staff and kicking him back, disarming him in the process. Letting go of his held breath, Akula assumed stance with the staff.

"Enough!" Shifu's booming voice bellowed, Monkey and Akula immediately standing at attention. Shifu snapped his fingers, signalling Monkey to fall back in line.

"It seems that you are rather advanced, wolf. Even though you lack any fighting style." Shifu pointed out before snapping his fingers again, signalling Crane to step up.

Akula tossed his staff and shield aside, the two fighters giving their bows before taking stance.

"Begin." Shifu announced.

Crane began with a powerful flap of his wings, effectively blowing Akula off balance before diving in to quickly finish him off. However, Akula regained balance the moment Crane moved in. He then dealt a strong punch as soon as Crane was in range. Crane effortlessly blocked the punch, diffusing the force and energy behind the blow. Crane then began dealing numerous blows with his talons, Akula managing to dodge them before jumping back, taking stance again.

It was all it took for Akula to figure out how Crane works. His style deals defensively, using minimal effort to diffuse their opponent's offensive energy. Crane isn't as fluent in offense, but he's smart enough not to go on the offensive. He'd need a way to get Crane on the offensive. This'll be tricky.

Taking a deep breath, Akula went on the offensive again. He threw another punch, and as expected, Crane blocked the blow and dealt counter blows.

Crane was now on the offensive. As Akula was blocking blows, he dropped down for a sweep kick. Crane was tripped over, but used his wings to quickly rise back up, but had ill time to prepare as Akula already jumped up at him, kicking him several feet back. The two fighters took stance again.

Shifu himself was impressed at how he was able to so quickly figure out Monkey and Crane's fighting styles after only a few attacks. However, he did have one more student to put against him.

"Enough." Shifu announced, snapping his fingers, signalling Crane to fall back in line.

"You've managed to figure out both Monkey and Crane's fighting styles. I must admit that that is an impressive feat." Shifu complimented, but still had no smile. The group slightly shocked to hear Shifu actually compliment Akula, but that shock was gone as soon as they heard what was said next.

"However..." Shifu began, snapping his fingers, signalling... wait for it... Tigress to step forward. Monkey, Crane, and Mantis grew grins while Viper and Po grew looks of worry, but also interest. If Akula could figure out and counter Crane and Monkey, this will shape out to be one interesting battle.

Akula and Master Tigress gave their respectful bows. Tigress took her stance, her form perfect, hiding a staggering amount of strength and power.

"I am ready." the deadly master spoke in an even voice.

Akula took a deep breath. This was going to be a very tough battle, and he can't have anything slowing him down. Be began to remove his shroud, exposing his chestplates and his shirt underneath. He then tossed it aside before removing his mask, his bright orange eyes now visible. He tossed that aside as well, the silver mask clanking against the hard surface of the ground. He then took his own stance, his bright orange eyes locked with hers.

"Ready." came his somber tone.

The others watched in anticipation, the tension in the air so thick, you could could cut it with a knife. Without hesitation, Shifu announced,

"Begin."

**And there you have it. Kung Fu Panda: The Exception: Chapter 4. I hope you all enjoyed, and as always, have a nice day.**


	5. Fighting and Secerets

**Hey guys, what's up? Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda in any way, shape, or form. Let's begin...**

Chapter 5

Tigress wasted no time at all in lunging full force.

Akula barely had time to dodge the would-be fatal punch, whether he blocked or not. He dropped down for a sweep kick, but Tigress jumped up for a roundhouse kick, which Akula managed to block, but a kick from Tigress' other foot sent him skidding back. Tigress was already on him as she delivered a several powerful blows, most of which Akula managed to block or dodge, but still suffered a few from the staggering strength and speed Tigress put into each attack. Through her offensive barrage, the feline managed to shatter his defense for a moment, giving her a clear opening. She then delivered a staggering punch to Akula's face, sending the wolf back, but Akula quickly stopped himself, coming back around with a power punch of his own. Tigress blocked it, her paw jerking back slightly before Akula threw another punch, which was also caught. She then jumped up and kicked Akula back, both regaining stance.

Akula took the brief moment to think over Tigress's style. She takes an extremely offensive approach, in which she can quickly overpower his defense and easily outgun his offense if he's not careful. The best thing he can do is balance them out to be able to even keep up, and to do that, he'd have to pull out all the stops.

He didn't have much time to jump out of the way of Tigress' ax kick, which he could've swore shattered the ground beneath. Jumping back from her attack, he jumped forward to exchange a few blows with Tigress, but switched to defense before he was outgunned. He managed to block or dodge her attacks while looking for openings, but Tigress' aggressive offense prevented him from exploiting them. It wasn't long before she overpowered his defense and landed several blows to his face and chest, knocking him back, dazing him. She was on him in a second as she pulled her paws to her side then used all her strength in a two-handed palm strike to his chest, the force and wind strong enough to blow a full sized dragon warrior off his feet, let alone a wolf.

Akula was sent flying, one of his chestplates shattered, bits and pieces flying. As his back made contact with the ground, he began frantically tumbling until he was sent crashing against the wall, kicking up some dust. He fell down on his hands and knees, panting. His chest felt like it was caved in from Tigress' attack. Clutching his chest, he forced himself to is feet, steadying his breathing. Removing his paw from his still aching chest, he took stance.

Tigress herself was somewhat impressed at the wolf's resilience. The attack was strong enough to destroy his armor and even send him tumbling into the wall, and he was still conscious, let alone up and ready to fight. The tigress smirked and retook stance. If this mutt still wanted to fight, she was more than happy to oblige.

"Enough." Shifu's voice rang out as he walked up to the wolf. "It seems that you are adaptive as well as resilience. We've found redeeming qualities in you. Perhaps you are worthy of being a student at the Jade Palace." Shifu said as Akula, as well as Tigress, dropped their guard, Tigress moving back in line with the others. "But don't think for a second that I will be going easy on you. You are still a wolf, and until I see otherwise, you are going to be treated as such." Shifu warned before he turned to the others. "Students, that will be all for today. You are dismissed." Shifu announced before taking his leave, the others following suite, save for Viper and Po, who made their way to Akula, who was watching Shifu and the rest of the Five walk off.

"Hey Akula, you okay?" Po asked, tapping the wolf on his shoulder. Akula blinked a few times before simply nodding and walking off to pick up his shroud, shield, and mask.

XXXXX

It was late afternoon at the palace.

Monkey and Mantis were fixing a batch of almond cookies, Crane was in his room, practicing calligraphy, Tigress was in her room, meditating, Po was in the kitchen, preparing noodles, and Akula was in his room, staring at the ceiling, pondering in deep thought.

He knew he should be doing something more productive than just sitting around and doing nothing, but outside of his room, there's danger at every turn. Quite literally, in fact. So here he is, playing it safe in the remote safety of his room. His back and chest still ached from the abuse he received from Tigress hours ago. He glanced over to his broken chestplates, which was resting in he corner with the pieces that was broken off.

"I could use a massage." the lupine heard himself sigh quietly.

Just then, out of the corner of his vision, he saw the silhouette of Viper on the other side of his door. He saw her raise her tail for a knock, but he beat her to it.

"Come in, Viper." Akula said, sitting up. He was grateful for the kindness he was able to receive in his stay here. Viper slid the door open and slithered in, carrying a box. Akula gave a look of confusion until Viper opened the box, revealing a row of needles.

"... Acupuncture?" Akula asked, raisin an eyebrow behind his mask. Viper nodded, smiling.

"I thought it would help ease up some tension after your battle with Tigress. I did the same with Po on his first time here. Do you mind?" Viper asked.

"Not at all." Akula replied, crossing his legs, removing his shroud and shirt, but as he removed his shirt, he revealed a mark on his back.

"What is that?" Viper asked, pointing her tail at the black branding on his back. Immediately, the lupine froze. He'd completely forgot about it. Sighing, he finished removing his shirt and shroud, fully revealing the mark.

"It's... a marking I was given as a pup." Akula explained skeptically, his ears folded back.

"What does it symbolize?" the serpent asked, curiosity getting the better of her as she examined it closely, making him feel all the more uncomfortable.

"I'll... tell you later." Akula concluded as Viper knowingly nodded and picked up a needle as she began her acupuncture.

XXXXX

Meanwhile, Tigress was in her room, in her meditative position, listening in on Akula and Viper's conversation. She raised a ear as Akula began talking about his mark, and that aroused some suspicion. The tigress growled inwardly to herself.

_'I knew he was hiding something.'_ Tigress thought as she lowered her ear as Akula concluded his conversation.

She'll pry the information out of him the first chance she gets.

**Hey guys. There you have it. Chapter Five done, done, and done. Sorry i the mark as a bit too random, but it plays a larger role later on. I hope you all enjoyed, and as always, have a nice day.**


	6. Hospitality

**Sorry for the long update, so I'll keep it brief and get right to it. Disclaimer: I don't own KFP in any way, shape, or for. Enjoy...**

Chapter 6

The morning bell rang.

"Good morning, Master." the students chorused as they were at their doors in an instant. Shifu looked them over. The Five, Akula, and even Po made it on time.

Shifu looked them over, his expression turning into a scowl as his eyes rested on Akula. He still wore his mask, hood and shroud.

"Students, your training begins after breakfast. That will be all for now." and with that, Shifu turned tail and headed out of the barracks. The others took their leave as well, heading into the kitchen for breakfast. Akula stayed behind, retreating into his room. As the others headed for breakfast, Viper stayed behind as well, watching Akula as he went back into his room.

Akula laid down on his mat, letting out a long sigh. His attention shifted to the door as he heard the slithering of Viper as she entered.

"What do you need, Viper?" Akula asked, sitting up.

"Haven't you eaten at least once since you got here?" Viper asked, a look of genuine concern on her face. Akula closed his eyes and shook his head no. Viper's frown deepened. "Akula, this isn't healthy. You need to eat something." Viper stated.

"Two days won't starve me to death, Viper. I'll just get something down in the village later." Akula said, opening his eyes. Standing up, he headed for the door, but just as he was about to make it into the hallway, he stopped.

"Oh, and thanks for the acupuncture. It helped out a lot." and with that, Akula walked out into the hallway. Viper smiled to herself as she headed out to the kitchen for breakfast.

As Akula passed the kitchen, the enticing smell of noodles hit his nostrils.

"Hey Akula?" he stopped at his name, but didn't look to see who called him, already recognizing Po's voice.

"Aren't you gonna come and eat breakfast? Got an extra bowl." Po offered, motioning to a steaming hot bowl of noodles on the table. Akula had to fight the enticing smell, slowly licking his lips as mouth began to water. As much as he wanted to just chow down, his mind thought better. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head no before continuing his walk.

"Hmph, what's Gloomy's problem now?" Mantis asked.

"Probably from Tigress sending him flying into the wall." Monkey laughed, gaining a chuckle from the rest of the group. Akula had to hold back a growl. He was used to the insults, but they still aggravated him regardless. Shaking his head, he continued to the training hall.

Viper slithered into the kitchen for breakfast a few moments after Akula left, taking a seat next to Crane.

"Hey Viper." Po greeted before sliding her a bowl of noodles. Viper nodded in acknowledgement before digging into her meal. Once everyone got their meal, Po took a seat at the end of the table, chowing down on his own bowl. There was a long silence that followed before Mantis broke the ice.

"So... who gets to be his sparring partner?"

XXXXX

Akula was leaning against a pillar in front of the Sacred Hall of Warriors, looking up at the sky.

He saw the moon looming just over the horizon, half filled. It would be a full moon by the end of the week.

"This won't bode well." Akula muttered to himself.

"And exactly what will not bode well, hm?" Shifu asked, walking up from behind him. Akula wasn't startled, but was still surprised at his sudden appearance.

"My stay here." Akula lied, but part of him wasn't. They'll treat him like dirt his time here, especially Tigress. That much he was sure of.

"My students are not to blame for their behavior." Shifu glared, his voice hardening. Akula's frown deepened. He knew where this was getting at.

"Then tell me; what did I, as an individual, do to receive their glares and insults?" Akula asked, looking down at the grandmaster for an answer.

"How would I know? You refuse to tell us about yourself." Shifu pointed out.

"Feel free to ask at anytime." Akula said before walking down the steps to the Sacred Hall of Warriors.

XXXXX

After breakfast, the students of the palace headed for the training hall.

As the day picked up, and the training started, talk was shared, and punches and kicks were thrown, namely between Akula and the Five. Akula wasn't able to fully beat one of them, but his ability to learn and adapt quickly was invaluable. However, when he went to spar against Tigress, the fight was more vicious than the others.

The two stood across from each other, both glaring at on another.

"Fists only." Akula said, taking stance. That meant no legs and no palm strikes. This was limiting Tigress far more than it was limiting Akula and they both knew it. However, Tigress didn't back down. She'll never back down from a mutt.

"Try not to bleed too much." Tigress replied, mirroring his stance. Tigress and Akula stood across from one another in the courtyard, in stance, their orange eyes focused intently on the pair staring right back at them. The tension in the air was thick until Akula broke it.

He lunged with a punch, but was dodged by Tigress as she ducked down and delivered a punch o the body, but Akula swatted it out of the way, throwing a punch to the face. Tigress rose back up, barely dodging the hit. She then threw multiple punches, but was all blocked by Akula. She had to fight the urge to kick or use her palms, and fighting Akula at the same time only made it harder. Akula's adaptability to situations allowed him to thoroughly use individual parts of his body in combat. On the other hand, Tigress trained in using all parts of the body together, which made her deadly, but she was restricted to fists only, and that made fighting Akula that much harder. Tigress was still a challenging opponent nonetheless, but here, Akula had the clear advantage.

Akula took an opening and ducked under Tigress's punch and dished out a rupturing punch to the stomach followed by a hook to the face, making Tigress stumble back a little. Tigress launched a punch, but it whisped past Akula's head as he delivered another punch to the face and attacked the body and followed up with a vicious uppercut, but he didn't let up there. Gaining ground, he pushed through and attacked around her defenses and ended his combination with a fully charged uppercut. Tigress's feet left the ground for a second before her back hit the hard ground with a heavy thud.

Everyone just stared in shock and awe at the scene that just unfolded, Monkey falling back, hitting the ground.

Akula simply began to walk away before he heard Tigress get back up.

"Where do you think you're going, Mutt?" growled the voice of Tigress as she stood back up, the fire in her eyes intensified to a raging inferno. Akula turned back around, matching her murderous glare with his impassive one. She shook her head, telling him that 'Fists only' no longer applied. She took her stance, ready to begin. Akula removed his mask and shroud, tossing them aside as he dropped into stance, not flinching or faltering in the slightest.

"Don't you think he went a little too far with it this time?" Po asked Viper, leaning down to a whisper. Viper just nodded.

"Tigress won't let him off easy." Viper said. It wasn't hard to get Tigress angry, and when she did, it was always the wiser decision to steer clear, but Akula stood his ground.

In a fraction of a second, Tigress lunged.

XXXXX

Akula was busy in his room, cleaning his wounds from his battle with Tigress.

He was sitting on the floor, his legs crossed, a bucket of pinkish water sitting across from him. He knows that their last fight caused their rivalry to grow, but he didn't care. Since his arrival, he noticed that Tigress showed more hostility than the others. If he's not careful, that hostility will grow into hatred, that much he was sure of.

Grabbing the rag in the water bucket in front of him, he rung it out and cleaned the blood from the side of his muzzle. With his face finally cleaned, he sighed before there was a knock at his door.

"Come in." Akula called as the door slid open, revealing Po and Viper.

"Uhh, hey Akula, how you holding up?" Po asked, holding a steaming hot bowl of noodles.

"I'm fine, Po." Akula replied, setting the rag on the rim of the bucket.

"Akula, don't you think you went a little too far today going up against Tigress like that?" Viper asked, concerned. Akula shrugged.

"I've endured worse. You'd say the same thing if you went through what I did." Akula said, sliding the water bucket against the wall before resting his arms in his lap. "But that's a story for another time. Anything else?" Akula asked.

"Well, Viper told me you haven't eaten since you got here, so I made this for you." Po said, offering the bowl of noodles. Akula nodded in thanks, taking it.

"Tis hard finding hospitality outside of my race." Akula muttered, grabbing the chopsticks.

"Don't worry, Akula. They'll come around eventually." Viper assured before she and Po extied his room.

"Eventually..." Akula repeated before digging into his noodles.

He hasn't eaten in weeks.

**Chapter 6 signed, sealed, and out in the field. I hope you all enjoyed, and as always, have a nice day.**


	7. And So it Begins

**Things have just been going down slowly, but in this chapter, the story will begin to take off. Disclaimer: I don't own KFP in any way, shape, or form. Enjoy...**

Chapter 7

Over the course of the following week, Akula continued his training at the Jade Palace.

Akula just kept getting better and better, eventually able to hold his own and even win against the Five. By the end of the week, he was able to beat Monkey one-on-one.

Po and Viper made the best of his stay at the palace, even though the others didn't. They managed to stop the open hostility (Save for Tigress), but still weren't very fond of him at all.

It was currently early evening, and Viper was on her way to the kitchen to talk with Crane, Monkey, and Mantis.

As she slithered through the hall of the barracks, she could hear the three conversing amongst themselves. Slithering in the doorway, the warrior cleared her throat, drawing their attention. Immediately, their faces dropped, met with Viper's smirk, knowing what she was going to say.

"Time to pay up."

XXXXX

Akula was busy sitting in front of the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, his legs crossed, overlooking the valley.

It was a calming sight for the lupine, feeling the calm winds, smelling the fresh air, looking over the vast expanse of the valley...

It was truly a place worth fighting for.

The lupine closed his eyes as he began to ponder in deep thought. He looked over to the moon, floating just over the mountains and sighed. As long as the moon's shine was blocked out by the glow of the sun, he was fine, but he'd have to head in by nightfall.

_'All because of a freak accident.'_ Akula thought bitterly to himself. Pushing it out of his head, he turned back to the grand view of the valley, letting it draw his attention.

However, before he could, he heard the sound of even footsteps approaching from behind. Standing up, already knowing who it is, he turned around to face none other than Tigress.

The feline stopped in front of him, her orange eyes burning with the fiery intensity that Akula had none of at the time. His focused gaze just met her fiery glare.

"Tigress." Akula addressed blankly.

"The mark." Tigress began, putting her paws on her hips.

"Come again?" Akula asked, raising an eyebrow.

"On your back." Tigress stated flatly, already getting agitated.

"So you've overheard my conversation with Viper. And you think I'm hiding something." Akula guessed as he walked over to the peach tree, leaning his back against it, his casual demeanor over the situation aggravating Tigress even more.

"Are you?" Tigress growled.

"You wouldn't believe me whether I told you or not." Akula stated. Tigress crossed her arms.

"No, I suppose I wouldn't, but we both know which one would win in a fight, so I suggest you stick with the truth." Tigress threatened, dropping her fists to her sides, tightening them.

"If you insist. Ask me anything." Akula offered, looking back off at the valley below. He stated before that all that they had to do to get information out of him was to simply ask, and it seemed that Tigress was the only one who took the offer into consideration.

After a week, that is.

"Your mark." Tigress said.

"Long story short, the brand represents shame." Akula explained.

"From what?" Tigress asked.

"Being what I am." the lupine replied.

"Which is?"

"A freak. Some places call me a demon." Tigress snorted at that.

"Who gave it to you?"

"My people."

"Were they wolves?" Tigress asked, Akula simply nodding in reply.

It was safe to say that Tigress was slightly surprised at his reply. She herself knew how it felt to be an outcast and to be called a 'freak' from her time at the Bao Gu Orphanage before she was adopted by Shifu. Becoming a master at the Jade Palace, everyone now instead of fearing and degrading her, they now respect and adore her. Perhaps Akula was just trying to do the same. Letting it all sink in, she sighed and looked over the valley, taking a calming deep breath of fresh air as she loosened her fists.

"If I asked, would you tell me?" Tigress asked.

"Tell you what?" Akula asked, looking back at her.

"What made them call you a freak." she replied.

"Considering the circumstances, yes, but I'd prefer to tell everyone. If you get them... I'll tell you." Akula said, getting up from the tree and sitting back down in his previous spot.

"Wait here." Tigress said before turning tail and beginning her trek back to the barracks, but before she left, she glanced over her shoulder and spoke. "This doesn't mean we're friends, Mutt. Remember that." Tigress warned before walking off, giving Akula a few moments of privacy. He knew he shouldn't just tell them everything, but he would have to in order to gain their trust, or at least make progress.

It wasn't long before heard the slithering of Viper.

"Viper." Akula greeted in a brightened mood, looking over his shoulder. The serpent smiled a heartwarming smile as she stopped next to him. Coiled in her tail was a ceramic jar filled to the brim with almond cookies.

"Where'd you get them?" Akula asked, wanting to start up small talk.

"I won them from Monkey, Crane, and Mantis in a bet. Want one?" Viper offered, lavishing in the spoils of victory. Akula gave a brief moment of thought before he nodded and took one from the jar. As he took a bite, his eyes widened slightly at the explosion of flavor. He never liked almonds since they were bland and tasteless on his tongue, but they went perfectly with the cookie.

"They're good." Akula complimented, making Viper smile even brighter.

"Help yourself." Viper urged as she took one herself and stared out at the valley with him. For the next few moments, they just enjoyed the view together, enjoying the almond cookies.

"I saw Tigress walking from the peach tree on my way here. Did she want anything from you?" Viper asked, showing immediate concern. Akula gave a slight chuckle before nodding.

"She just asked a few questions. I offered to tell her my story if she bought the group." Akula admitted. Viper nodded in understanding as they waited, and soon enough, the others, including Shifu, arrived. Akula stood up, leaning against the peach tree as they all faced him.

"Alright, wolf. You have our undivided attention. Explain yourself." Shifu ordered. Akula nodded before taking a deep breath. This was the moment of truth.

"Tell me, you ever heard the word 'werewolf'?"

**Chapter 7 signed, sealed, and out in the field. A bit short, and I apologize, but now that the story is finally taking off, I hope to get more done, and with Spring Break around the corner, that shouldn't be a problem. I hope you all enjoyed, and as always, further reviews motivates further chapters. Have a nice day. Peace.**


	8. What is a Werewolf?

**Hello everyone. Sorry for the long wait, but I just kept running into brick wall after brick wall. BUT I finally got it done. Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2, OR Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. If I did, there'd be new episodes left and right.**

As Akula asked the question, he was met with blank stares, save for Shifu, who gave him an intent stare.

"I've heard of them, but they were merely stories." Shifu explained.

"A werewolf, or from its place of origin, a lycanthrope, is an extremely powerful, uncontrollable form of a wolf. It started out millenia ago, but was put to rest centuries ago by Master Oogway." Akula explained, catching everyone by surprise. "He reduced werewolves to a mere myth, but the fear it inspired still remained." Akula finished, looking over them to see their mixed expressions.

"So what did the werewolves do if everyone hates them?" Po asked.

"All in all, they act almost entirely on instinct." Akula replied.

"So what makes now so significant if they were said to be put to rest by Master Oogway?" Tigress asked.

"In the last decades, there's been many claims that the werewolf has returned. Claims range back to decades ago. I myself am twenty, but I've only lost control once, and that was six years ago." Akula explained.

"So are you saying that you yourself are a werewolf?" Shifu was met with a nod at his question.

"What is your business for being here? I do not wish to have a monster threatening the lives of the inhabitants of this valley." Shifu growled, his voice hardening into anger. Akula sighed.

"For centuries, wolves were feared and degraded. We have had to fight, cheat, and steal just to survive, and I seek to change that. One way or another." Akula explained.

"And how will you manage that? You're but a mere individual and you're talking about wolves everywhere." Shifu pointed out.

"Coming to the valley, I thought that if I was known as a master among others, people would assume that wolves are not all bad. But after Po and Viper showed their hospitality, I thought that might be a possibility. I would hope that if I'm known here, word could spread and others will do as I do. The snowball effect." Akula explained, making Po and Viper smile as he mentioned them.

"And what if they don't?" Crane asked.

"Then I'll do things myself." Akula admitted. Shifu stopped right there. He heard no lie, no doubt in his reply. Akula was willing to spend his entire life in trying to reach his goal, and he wouldn't let the doubt of others steer him away from it. Knowing this, Shifu spoke up again.

"Leave me. I must meditate on this. Be sure that Akula remains indoors." Shifu ordered as he faced the valley and sat in lotus position. The group proceeded to lead Akula inside, leaving Shifu to himself.

With distractions out of the way, Shifu focused, allowing inner peace to flourish.

XXXXX(Shifu's mind)XXXXX

_Inside Shifu's mind was a blank nothingness, his mind cleared of all distractions._

_Shifu appeared, looking around to find he was inside of his conscience._

_"Master Oogway?" Shifu called out, his voice echoing across the vast expanse of his mind. _

_"Ah, Shifu. I've been expecting you." Oogway's voice echoed behind Shifu as he turned around to greet his master with a respectful bow._

_"Master Oogway. It is an honor to see you again." Shifu said with a smile, which was returned with one from Oogway._

_"I understand you came to talk on account of your new student?" Oogway inquired. Shifu answered with a nod._

_"I do not know what to do, master. I detected no lie in his voice, and if what he said is true, no one will be safe!" Shifu exclaimed, feeling a sense of panic, but was calmed by a hand on Oogway's shoulder._

_"I understand that you're worried, Shifu, but understand that Akula is no enemy. He knows enough about his ability to keep it concealed, and once you gained his complete trust, he will even share the weaknesses." Oogway explained._

_"But why can't you tell me, Master? China is in danger!" Shifu said._

_"Trust is what will allow you to prevail, my old friend. I wouldn't have found out the weaknesses myself if it wasn't for trust with a wolf centuries ago." Oogway admitted. "Akula is the key to victory, but in order for him to serve his purpose, you need for him to trust you, and for that, you need to trust him. He is a gentle spirit, Shifu. Look at how he behaves around Viper and Po. All they have done was trust him and show him their hospitality. Even Tigress is making progress." _

_"Trust." Shifu said under his breath. "Is that all?" he asked._

_"All else will be revealed in time, Shifu." and with that, the great tortoise waved his hand and broke Shifu from his meditation._

XXXXX(Reality)XXXXX

Shifu snapped his eyes open as he jolted awake.

Standing up, Shifu looked up at the rising full moon, then back at the Jade Palace.

_'If all I need is trust... then I will trust Akula.'_ Shifu told himself before making his way to the Jade Palace.

XXXXX

Akula was in his room, sitting across from the Five, answering their questions.

"So why were you branded in shame?" Tigress asked, continuing their conversation.

"Even thought most of the world forgot what werewolves were, wolves still remember, and being that werewolves are the reason we're treated so, wolves themselves don't treat werewolves the way they did back then." Akula explained.

"How did you become a werewolf?" Po asked.

"I still don't know. As far back as I can remember is my parents telling me I was in fact a werewolf." Akula replied.

"Are their any specific ways that someone can become one?" Viper asked.

"It can be inherited from the parents, drinking from the pawprint, or consuming the blood." Akula listed.

"Can any other animals turn into a werewolf?" Crane asked a little nervously. Akula shook his head.

"It's exclusive to wolves, and there's no other 'were' form of any animal. If there was, it wouldn't be as widespread as werewolves." Akula replied, giving the group an air of relief.

"Are there any weaknesses?" Tigress asked, the group nodding. Akula was about to speak in attempt to avoid telling them, but was saved by Shifu, who popped into the door.

"I believe Akula will tell us when he is ready, and right now, neither of us are ready to tell nor learn it." Shifu announced. This made his students look at him, bewildered.

"Master, how can you say that?!"

"But he's a wolf!"

"Learning his weaknesses will help us!"

As the students were babbling on, namely Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, and Crane, Akula was sitting silently, looking down to the floor.

"Silence!" Shifu bellowed, his students immediately falling silent. "Akula won't be ready to tell us unless he trusts us, and for that to happen, we must trust him." Shifu explained, everyone taken aback by his explanation. Shifu continued. "With that in mind, we will help you in your quest, Akula." Shifu said, turning towards the lupine, who looked up in slight disbelief. Tigress was about to speak out, but a hand from Shifu stopped her before she tried.

"Tell me, do you trust my students enough to let them help you?" Shifu asked.

"If they're willing to help me, then I'll trust them with my life." Akula admitted. Shifu nodded and looked to them for their answers. Po and Viper were the first nod their heads in agreement. There was some time before the next one agreed, and that was Tigress. With her aboard, the others soon followed.

"Good. Now, what is your course of action?" Shifu asked, facing Akula again.

"The first and most important step to our goal is to find whoever the hostile werewolf is and defeat him." Akula explained, Shifu, Viper, and Po nodding in acknowledgement, but Tigress narrowed her eyes.

"How do we know you're not the werewolf we're looking for?" Tigress asked.

"Sightings and claims predates my birth. There were only a few that occurred over the course of my life, compared to the many that happened prior. As said back at the peach tree, I only changed once." Akula explained.

"So how do we find this werewolf?" Viper spoke up.

"We can ask in my hometown. No one knows more about werewolves than wolves." Akula answered.

"What is your hometown?" Shifu asked.

"Canosis. It's a city to the far west." Akula explained. Shifu gave a firm nod.

"Then it is settled. Students, get your rest. You'll need it in the morning." Shifu instructed. The Five and Po gave their respectful bows before leaving Akula's room. Shifu then turned to Akula.

"You trust me. Why so quickly?" Akula asked, genuinely confused. Just minutes ago, when they were outside, Shifu could barely talk to him without getting enraged, but now, Shifu not only got him out of telling his weaknesses, but even got his students to help him on his journey.

"I've been reminded that trust is key, and I didn't trust you at first. My apologies." came Shifu's reply. Akula was about to speak again, but decided against it. He gained Shifu's trust, and to him, that's what's important. He simply nodded in acknowledgement before getting up and heading to his bed. Shifu then took the opportunity to head out, leaving Akula alone in his room. The lupine flopped down in his bed, letting out a long sigh as he stretched his limbs.

Tomorrow, it begins.

**And there you have it. I kinda steamrolled my way through this chapter, and hopefully, the next will be better. I hope. As always, my main motivation were the reviews you all gave me, and I thank each and every one that reviewed. You pulled me off my ass and back into writing. I hope you all enjoyed, and as always, have a nice day.**


	9. The Journey Begins

**Hey guys, I'm sorry for the long wait. School 'n s**t. Anyway, now that the story is finally taking off, it'l be easier to write hopefully. Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Kung Fu Panda movies, the game (Never played it), or the TV show. But I do own Akula.**

Chapter 9: The Journey Begins

The following morning, the morning bell rang, signalling the start of the day of their long journey.

"Good morning, Master." The students greeted in unison to Master Shifu as he stood in the middle of the hallway.

"Good morning, students. As you all know, you all will depart today to assist Akula on his journey. He's trusting all of you, and now all I ask is for you to trust him. Can you do that?" Shifu asked, looking each of them over.

"Yes, Master." everyone, with the exception of Akula, replied.

"Good. You depart after breakfast." and with that, Shifu walked off, leaving the students to head to breakfast before they began their travels.

XXXXX

Once breakfast started, the Five and Po sat at the table and began to dig in.

However, it was then when Viper noticed that Akula was missing.

"Guys, where's Akula? We didn't see him when we greeted Shifu." the serpent asked. Everyone shrugged with _'I don't know'_s, save for Tigress who grew suspicious. Growing some concern, Viper slithered out of her seat.

"I'll go check on him." Viper said as she headed out of the kitchen to Akula's room. Gently sliding his door open, Viper peered inside to find the room completely empty. After a quick once around the room, she saw that Akula's belongings were gone as before she was about to go, she spotted a note in the door handle. Grabbing the note with her tail, she read it quietly to herself.

_'__I'll get breakfast down in the village. I'll wait for you all at the noodle shop to depart. I've already told Shifu._

_Your friend and ally,_  
_Akula'_

Now satisfied, Viper put the note back where it was and headed back out of the room to go tell the others. Tigress, having only a small block of tofu for breakfast, finished much earlier than the others. Once she finished, she up and left without a word down the hallway. The others didn't think anything of it, so they just continued eating.

Tigress made her way out of the barracks, intent on following Akula. She still didn't trust Akula as far as she could send him flying, or so she told herself, so she decided she'd keep an eye on him.

XXXXX

Akula already figured that Tigress would try to eavesdrop on him when he's alone.

He's always ready for any contingency.

As he made it to the bottom of the Thousand Steps and into the village, some of the villagers gave him small waves and even a few smiles, all of which he returned. He didn't wear his hood or mask, which was fastened through the eye hole at his side. A few of the females also sent a few glances his way.

Throughout the week, he's helped the Five and Po keep the valley safe from anyone who for whatever reason would want to disturb its peace, which allowed him to win the trust of some of the villagers. Once, he saved a baby bunny from the destruction of one of Taotie's machines.

As Akula made it to the noodle shop, he headed to an empty table in the corner of the eating area. It wasn't long before Mr. Ping was there to take his order.

"Ah, Akula, the newest addition to the Jade Palace!" Mr. Ping greeted, walking up to him.

"I wouldn't say I'm exactly a new student just yet." Akula shrugged.

"Ah I see. Still don't trust you, do they?" the goose asked, hopping up, taking seat across from him.

"I'm making progress, but the only ones that really trust me are Po and Viper." Akula admitted. Mr. Ping seemed to grow a warm smile at that.

"That's my boy. So what will you be having today?" Mr. Ping asked, quite abruptly changing the subject, almost catching Akula off guard.

"Just a regular bowl of noodles." Akula said, dropping five coins on the table. The goose simply chuckled before taking the coins and putting them back in his hand.

"No need, my friend. Any friend of Po can eat here for free." the goose said before walking off to cook his food. Shrugging, Akula patiently waited for his meal.

XXXXX

Tigress was not far behind as she made her way towards the noodle shop.

Upon arriving, she saw Akula sitting alone at an empty table, eating a fresh bowl of noodles. It didn't take long at all for him to notice her enter, and so he returned his attention to his bowl as Tigress walked over to him.

"Still don't trust me, do you?" Akula asked.

"No." came Tigress' reply.

"You'll eventually have to, like it or not." Akula reminded, standing up from his finished meal.

"Who are you to make orders?" Tigress growled, getting angry.

"I'm not giving orders. What I'm getting at is that trust is key to to victory, and in order for us to come out on top, you'll have to trust me as well as the others. Where I've been, trusting your allies can mean the difference between life and death." Akula explained, facing her.

"You have to prove that I can trust you first." Tigress replied, her voice low to keep attention down. Akula was about to retort, being that he's fought by them and put up with their antics for the whole week, but decided against it.

"Fair enough." he agreed, heading to the entrance of the shop. "But when the time comes, it'll be then or never." he added before leaning against the outside of the noodle shop to wait, crossing his arms.

"Anything else before we depart?" Akula asked, hearing Tigress walk up behind him.

"What makes you so determined to stay on your path?" Tigress asked, thinking back to the conversation the previous night.

"What?" Akula asked, confused.

"Last night, you said you'd dedicate your entire life to your goal of change. What motivates you to stay on your path?" Tigress clarified. There was a moment of silence before Akula replied.

"No one else will." came his reply. Tigress narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone wants change, but no one has the determination to do what it takes. I live on my own now, so I have nothing to lose, and everything to prove." Akula said, standing up from the wall as the rest of the Five arrived.

Akula nodded to the group in greeting. Greetings were returned before Po spoke up again.

"Gimme a minute guys, I gotta say bye to my dad." Po said before rushing into the noodle shop. After a short conversation, Po came back out with a large backpack filled with supplies, including his action figures, and with that, the group headed off, beginning their long trek across the world.

**And there you have it; Chapter 9 signed and sealed. I hope you all enjoyed, and as always, have a nice day. Peace.**


End file.
